PROVIDENCE (15-7, 5-4 BIG EAST) AT PITT (21-3, 9-1) LINE: Pitt by 13 GAME TIME: 6 p.m. Today Where: Petersen Events Center TV/Radio: ESPN; WWSW-FM (94.5), WBGG-AM (970) Series: Pitt leads, 25-16

WHAT TO EXPECT: This game begins a three-game homestand for Pitt. Louisville visits Monday followed by a rare late-season non-conference game against Washington on Feb. 17. Pitt extended its best Big East start with its 60-47 victory at West Virginia on Wednesday and now aims to resume its dominance over improving Providence. The Panthers have won six in a row against Providence and haven’t lost to the Friars at home in more than eight years. The Friars are 3-16 all-time in Pittsburgh, and 1-4 on the road this season. Another positive sign for Pitt — Providence lost at Florida State by 30. Pitt beat Florida State by 22.

ABOUT PROVIDENCE The Friars, one of the surprise teams of the Big East season, erased an eight-point deficit in the final 1:41 to beat visiting Cincinnati, 71-70, on Tuesday. Sophomore point guard Sharaud Curry converted a 3-point play with 14 seconds left to win it. Providence had dropped four of six before the comeback. The Friars, who failed to reach last season’s Big East tournament, are in seventh place in the conference. They are among the youngest teams in the Big East, starting one senior center (Herbert Hill), and four sophomores. Hill, a 6-foot-10, 240-pounder, ranks fifth in the Big East in scoring and rebounding, and is second in field goal percentage (67.0). BY THE NUMBERS G Sharaud Curry is second in the Big East in free throw shooting at 89.6 percent G/F Geoff McDermott ranks among the nation’s leaders in assists (5.5 apg) and rebounds (9.7) ABOUT PITT The No. 7 Panthers have won four in a row since the overtime loss to Marquette. In Big East games, Pitt is first in 3-point percentage on offense (43.0) and defense (26.6). The Panthers are showing their balance lately, with a different leading scorer in four of their past five games. The latest was Sam Young, who scored a career-high 21 in the win at WVU. Aaron Gray, Levance Fields and Ronald Ramon also led the team during that stretch. Pitt swept Providence last season with Gray averaging 19.5 points and 9.0 rebounds. Since leading the team in scoring in 10 of the first 12 games, Gray has paced the Panthers three times. Junior forward Mike Cook, the team’s second-leading scorer, is 1 for 14 from the field over the past two games. BY THE NUMBERS C Aaron Gray (14.7 ppg, 10.2 rpg) is the only player in the Big East averaging a double-double. G Ronald Ramon is shooting free throws at 90.3 percent and 3-pointers at 54.1 percent in Big East games.

NEXT GAME: MONDAY Louisville at Pitt, 7 p.m., Petersen Events Center

Starting fives

Providence

Player

Pos.

Class

Ht.

PPG

Herbert Hill

F/C

Sr.

6-10

16.9

Jonathan Kale

F

So.

6-8

6.9

Geoff McDermott

G/F

So.

6-7

11.2

Weyinmi Efejuku

G

So.

6-5

13.9

Sharaud Curry

G

So.

5-10

17.0

Pitt

Player

Pos.

Class

Ht.

PPG

Mike Cook

F

Jr.

6-4

10.4

Levon Kendall

F

Sr.

6-9

5.3

Aaron Gray

C

Sr.

7-0

14.7

Levance Fields

G

So.

5-10

9.5

Antonio Graves

G

Sr.

6-3

10.1

Key reserves

Providence

Player

Pos.

Class

Ht.

PPG

Dwain Williams

G

Fr.

6-1

7.2

Pitt

Player

Pos.

Class

Ht.

PPG

Ronald Ramon

G

Jr.

6-1

9.1

COACHES Providence Tim Welsh, 11th year coaching, overall record: 212-143 Pitt Jamie Dixon, 4th year, overall record: 97-25

— John Grupp

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